


UNSPOKEN

by Sickpuppyinexile



Category: Hurts (UK Band)
Genre: Adam is a lovely dork, Family Reunion, Irrational Fears, M/M, Theo is... Theo, lots of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-13 22:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16027718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sickpuppyinexile/pseuds/Sickpuppyinexile
Summary: Theo invites their parents to visit them at their new house but Adam is not so enthusiastic of Theo's decision.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am finally back after a busy period and I wrote a very long oneshot; I divided it in two parts because the edit was killing me especially because the first part of the first chapter has almost no dialogues (English is a constant struggle, I could use some intense, private lessons from the boys lol) .  
> I hope you enjoy it.

"I just finished to speak with my parents; they come to visit us tomorrow and they are gonna stay for the whole weekend," Theo said enthusiastically, placing his phone on the little table and letting himself fall on the couch where Adam was sitting watching an old football match. Theo laid down resting his head on Adam's lap, and the smile that was illuminating his face was enough to distract Adam from the TV screen.

"Great!" Adam answered genuinely happy, and his hand, out of habit, moved on Theo's head, stroking his hair back and forth, ruffling it a bit before starting caressing it gently the way he knew Theo liked it.

Adam was always delighted to meet Theo's parents; it had been a while since their last meeting but, lately, they had been really busy and the months after Christmas had passed in a flash. First, they had finally moved all their stuff into their new house and, immediately after, they had been busy finishing the new album so, without even realizing it, several months had passed since the last visit. Theo's parents were very nice people and they had always made him feel at home since the first time he had met them, when he and Theo were just two young men with their heads full of dreams. Besides being very friendly and funny, he had always liked the fact that Mrs. and Mr. Hutchcraft always supported them in their passion for music even when Theo had told them that he would put his education on hold because he wanted to become a musician for a living. They didn't try to convince him to think about it twice; they trusted Theo and they knew that he was serious enough about his plans for the future. The light he had seen in Theo's eyes while talking to his parents that night, had made it clear to him that they would work hard and do whatever it was necessary to make their dream come true and he felt that, finally, there was a real chance for them out there.

His own parents, on the contrary, even if they had never said it aloud, thought that their dream was just dream, a dream that hundreds of other guys in the same city had, and he knew that they thought that it was better to concentrate on something more realistic than getting a record deal and being in a successful band. They had never told him to stop wasting time with Theo, nor did they blame his friend to persuade him to insist even when things were clearly not working; they had always welcomed Theo at home and they had always been nice with him but they hadn't been very supportive.

He looked down at Theo who was shamelessly enjoying his hand moving into his hair; the singer had his eyes closed and was lying there with a satisfied smile on his face because his Bambi was a sucker for cuddles, especially of that kind. He couldn't help but think that he had been very lucky to meet him and have him in his life as a friend and as a lover. Theo always did his best to make everything go smooth and make him feel comfortable every single minute they spent with his family but it was a matter of fact that visiting Theo's parents was much funnier and less stressful. The atmosphere in that house there was probably too chaotic for him but everyone was very affectionate with them and Theo's parents never felt embarrassed to show their love to all his sons and to him. It was something that he had never experienced at home and it was something that he would have wanted for himself and his little brother when they were young so he usually enjoyed every minute of their staying at the Hutchcraft's and he hoped that tomorrow he would be able make Theo's parents feel at home.

Theo was still lying enjoying Adam's hand caressing his scalp, trying to hold back little sighs of contentment that were ready to escape his lips because of the cuddling and because of the epic event that was going to happen. Buying a house, inviting his parents and his boyfriend's parents for a weekend was something he had never contemplated to do. He had never thought he would fall in love with someone because he had never trusted love; he had always searched for brief affairs and avoided getting involved but at some point, he had found himself in love with Adam. At the beginning he got pretty scared and felt trapped but, luckily, he soon realized that they were made for each other so he surrendered to the fact that there was nothing to do but feeling blessed and enjoy it. Sometimes he looked at Adam and couldn't believe that it was possible loving someone year after year with the same intensity and passion but Adam was not someone, he was the _special one_. He would die for him with no hesitation and he knew that his feelings for him would never change even if they would go back to be two common persons and not the members of a cool band.

Theo's trail of thought was suddenly interrupted by his phone making a noise and after he stretched out his hand to pick up his phone and check the message received, he looked up at Adam with a big smile on his face.

"Great! Your parents are coming too."

Adam froze; his hand stopped caressing Theo's hair and his expression became blank. Theo stared at his boyfriend's petrified face and he felt seriously worried that Adam was having some kind of panic attack.

"Adam? Adam, look at me," Theo said, trying to gain his attention while he got up to sit next to him.

"Adam?"

Adam didn't answer; instead, he got up and walked toward the balcony. He needed to breathe some fresh air so he opened the window door and stepped outside on the huge terrace of their loft; Theo immediately followed him but stopped on the threshold, letting Adam alone for a moment with his thoughts. He obviously knew what was bothering Adam even if he hadn't expected such reaction; he had spent the past five years reassuring Adam about the fact that his father was not disapproving them but, apparently, the man had forgot everything.

Adam had both his hands on the railing; his face was pointing down at his feet and he was inhaling and exhaling deeply the cold London air, trying to get a grip on himself. Knowing that his parents were going to stay at their place for the weekend was making him feel very uncomfortable because he had always had a pretty cold relationship with his parents since he was young and things stayed pretty the same; the situation hadn't got worse when his parents had to face his affair with Theo but, for sure, they hadn't reacted as the Hutchcraft's family.

One night Theo's parents had caught them kissing on the couch and they had behaved as if nothing strange had happened in front of their eyes; Theo had smiled at them without blushing or feeling embarrassed for getting caught kissing someone who was supposed to be just his best friend and band mate. Also the rest of the family always looked comfortable with the fact that they were a couple, not bothering at all if Theo was in love with a boy instead of a girl, and their behaviour had helped him to feel more confident and less paranoid about coming out to their manager and to his own parents. Theo had waited for him to be ready to spit out that they were a couple for almost a year, and he was sure that he would never been able to do something like that without him by his side. He still remembered that night when he had finally took the _weight_ off his chest; after a few seconds of embarrassing silence because of the unexpected news, they went on treating them as before but he couldn't deny the fact that he was never feeling at ease with them when Theo was with him, even if lots of years had passed from the _revelation_. He knew that his parents loved him, no matter who he dated, and he knew that they loved Theo as a son, but they were always pretty formal and, therefore, he often got paranoid.

Theo stood there in silence, waiting for a sign from Adam, trying to figure out if he was now allowed to approach his boyfriend or if he needed some more time alone; he felt bad for having made Adam uncomfortable, almost on the verge of a panic attack, and he couldn't stand looking at him like that.

"Adam?" he called softly.

This time Adam seemed to have heard his voice and he turned slowly toward him.

"Was it really necessary to invite them here?" Adam asked in a quiet tone, but Theo could hear a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I thought it would be great showing our place to them. They have never seen any of our old apartments and this new one is finally _our_ apartment, the one we have bought and the one where we've planned to live happily together for the rest of our life! It's big enough to let them stay with us and after all the times we've been at their -"

"It's just... you know that my parents are not like yours, Theo!" Adam said not hiding the frustration in voice while cutting off Theo's words.

"Your mother was happy when-."

"You know that she is not the problem," Adam interrupted, his tone a bit harsh now.

"Adam...your father has not any kind of problem with you. He doesn't have with me as well."

"In fact, he just have a problem with _us_."

Theo avoided rolling his eyes and sighing deeply even if it was hard not to do it after so many years and after so many discussions about the same issue; he gathered all his patience and, once again, he got ready to stop Adam from overthinking, putting him in the right state of mind to enjoy the upcoming weekend.

"Adam, please...your dad doesn't have a problem with us being a couple. I have already told you these words hundreds of times but I am gonna go on repeating everything until the rest of our days if necessary. I admit that my parents are very at ease with us and don't mind at all if I kiss you in front of them, but you don't have to make comparison between my father and yours. Your father simply belong to the old generation and my family is...weird. I am weird for a reason and you know it," Theo said in a playful tone, waiting unsuccessfully for a smile appearing on Adam's face.

"You don't dare to act like my boyfriend when we are at my parents' house and this because you know that he-"

"Your father doesn't have a problem with us being in love," Theo said resolutely, looking at Adam straight in the eyes, silently pleading him to stop blabbering nonsense.

"He has, Theo. Come on, I am not saying he hates me, of course he doesn't, but I know that, deep down, I've somehow disappointed him for being in love with a man," Adam said almost feeling embarrassed, averting his gaze from Theo's.

"No way have you disappointed him, Adam!" Theo said a bit frustrated.

"Okay, maybe he's not disappointed but....I know what he thinks when he looks at me," Adam went on, paranoia getting the upper hand with each passing second.

"Do you want to know what your father thinks of you, Adam? He is proud that his son realized his dream after working hard for years, and he is glad to see his son finally happy and completely satisfied with his life."

Adam was silent. He had made big steps forwards during the past years but, sometimes, he still had problem of self-confidence and he felt that his father wasn't 100% proud of him and of the success achieved because he was in a relationship with Theo.

"He is always very kind with us every time we stay at his place and he never made us feel unwelcome, Adam, so it's pretty evident that he has nothing against us."

"You don't behave like yourself when we're at my parents' home, do not deny it."

"I don't kiss you in front of him just because I don't want to embarrass him, not because I feel embarrassed. I respect him and I do not want to make him feel uncomfortable inside his house and I don't do it because you would feel uncomfortable too. To be honest, sometimes you look more uncomfortable than your father, Adam" Theo said in sweet tone, not intentioned to scold Adam. “Anyway, I am sure that my parents will help to make the atmosphere relaxed and I promise that it's going to be a wonderful weekend."

Adam turned toward the railing again, looking at the city in front of him in silence and now Theo's features tensed because he felt suddenly guilt for organizing the weekend without informing Adam before.

"Are you mad at me?" Theo asked with an apologizing tone of voice.

"No," Adam hurried to answer and Theo knew from the tone of his voice that he was sincere so he let out a sigh of relief and decided to hug him, resting his chin on Adam's shoulder, holding him tight from behind.

"Thanks," Theo said placing a kiss on his neck.

"How could I ever been mad at you," Adam said, turning to face his boyfriend and feeling stupid for his behaviour. "I am sorry if I rose my voice, Theo. I don't even know why I am making a big fuss out of this; please, forgive me! I am such an idiot sometimes," Adam said, throwing himself into Theo's arms.

"Yes, you are, but you are so damn lovely even when you are an idiot!" Theo said with a chuckle, and a smile finally appeared on Adam's face.

"I have to consider it a compliment, right?"

"Yes, of course; everything will be okay, baby," Theo said and took Adam's head in his hands to kiss him.

*

It was barely midnight but Adam and Theo were already in bed even if none of them was sleeping. Theo was still awake because he was too excited; he couldn't wait to show their parents the house they had finally managed to buy, a place that it was supposed to be their home for the rest of their lives. Obviously it wasn't for the house itself; their parents would finally look at them together as a family and he felt stupidly happy for that. Adam, on the contrary, was still awake because he was nervous about how his father would react. The man had accepted to come, obviously, but he was sure that his father wouldn't feel comfortable with looking at his son and his boyfriend acting like a couple in their home.

"Adam? Look at me," Theo said with a frown.

"What?" Adam answered, trying not to look like as if he was overthinking as usual.

"Tell me that you are not overthinking about God knows what," Theo said in a serious tone and Adam silently cursed for Theo knowing him as the back of his hand. He didn't want to give him satisfaction for being such an idiot and, therefore, he forced his face to look relaxed and let a convincing lie leave his mouth.

"I am awake because it's too early to go to bed," Adam replied, doing his best to pretend to feel annoyed for going to sleep as if they were two grandpas.

"Hum, I admit it's not the time rock stars go to bed but I thought it would be easier for you to wake up tomorrow morning. You're the sleepyhead of the family and I don't want our parents arrive and find you still wearing your pajama," Theo said with a chuckle before placing a kiss on Adam's lips and giving him a mischievous look.

"You can get rid of it if you prefer but I guess it's not gonna solve the problem," Adam said, earning such a heated look from Theo at the words _you can get rid of it_ that he forgot his train of stupid thoughts for a few seconds.

"Anderson, you're a naughty boy, you know that?" Theo said placing himself on Adam and he attacked his boyfriend's lips, leaving them just to move down to the jaw and a few inches lower. "I just got one of my great ideas... I am sure you're gonna appreciate my way to make you tired and sleepy," Theo went on, kissing, biting and sucking on Adam's neck. However, even if Adam's body was telling Theo that he was appreciating a lot what he was doing, the guitarist’s mind was tormenting him and after a few seconds, Adam's mouth opened and some stupid words came out.

"Don't you think we should get rid of some of the pictures we have in the studio?" The blue-eyed man asked all of a sudden, as if Theo was not on top of him trying to get him interested in something that wasn't interior design.

"I hoped you were thinking about something more interesting," Theo said, rolling away from Adam's body and propping on his own elbow, looking at his boyfriend a little annoyed.

"That's not the answer to my question. I was thinking that we should remove just a couple of them, Theo. Just the ones wher-"

"No way we're gonna do that!" Theo said adamant but Adam gave it another try even if he knew that his request was silly.

"Okay only one photo then; the one where we-"

"Adam? I am sure that we don't have naked pictures of us having sex in weird positions on that wall so, in my opinion, there's no need to remove any of them. I almost can't believe you've already asked me to do such a stupid thing for three times!" Theo said rolling on his back and looking up at the ceiling feeling a little exasperated. He wasn't mad at Adam though; he gave Adam a few minutes to realize how stupid his request was and then, he rolled again on his side to look at his tormented boyfriend next to him.

"Five years ago, when we told your parents about us being in love, I am sure that they had thought about some _gay stuff_ , as well as I am sure that some questions and curiosity had probably popped up in their mind, - _if you know what I mean_ \- so I don't think that after all these years they can have new questions or new curiosities about us because they are gonna see some pictures of innocent kisses," Theo said in a half-serious and half-playful tone. "Anyway, we can tell your father that you top me most of the times if it makes you feel better," Theo said holding back a laugh and Adam hit him with the pillow.

"You're an idiot, you know that, right?" Adam said pretty irritated but his predictable reaction made Theo laugh even harder.

"Oh! Maybe we can tell them that nothing happens under the sheets because we're waiting to get married before having sex, and given the fact you keep avoiding the matter, they can drew a breath of relief and stop thinking about the obscene things that happen almost daily in this bed," Theo went on, feeling the tears forming in his eyes, getting ready to get hit again by Adam, probably more than once.

"Idiot!"

"Idiot!"

"Idiot!" Adam exclaimed every time he hit Theo with the pillow and when he finally stopped doing that, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the laughs, Theo looked at him with a mischievous smile. The singer hurried to get rid of his own t-shirt and moved closer to Adam with a predatory look. The blue-eyed man knew that he was doomed but, obviously, he was more than happy to surrender to the love of his life.

"Now this idiot is gonna make your clothes disappear and pin you on the mattress in less than a minute," Theo said before hushing Adam with a kiss in case he wanted to protest or ask him again something stupid, and he was happy that now Adam was interested in what was happening, given the fact he was kissing him back rather passionately.

Theo got rid of the rest of their clothes and they stared at each other for a long moment without saying or doing anything; then Theo's lips covered Adam's one and he kissed his boyfriend sweetly.

"I love you, Adam. I don't know what you do to me every time you look at me but... it's great; you make me feel on top of the world, happy and fulfilled and I can't ask for more from life."

"What you see in my eyes is just the reflection of what I see in yours; I am the luckiest man in the world," Adam said and he put his hands on Theo's face to pull him close for a kiss.

"I love you, Theo. And I am sorry if I-"

"Shut up and kiss me."

They made love slowly and passionately and one hour later, they fell asleep in each other's arms happily tired and satisfied.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning after Theo awoke before the alarm clock went off. It was something that always happened when he was extremely excited for the day to begin, like when they were back on tour after a pause or when he and Adam had some interesting stuff to do. This was undoubtedly one of those special days and Theo smiled in anticipation of the lovely weekend they were going to spend. He was absolutely sure that everything would go smoothly, making Adam realize, once and for all, that his father was proud of him and not even a little disappointed by the fact that he was in love with his best friend. He knew that Mr. Anderson was happy to see that Adam was not anymore the tormented, insecure and complicated guy he used to be; he was still a stubborn dork and sometimes his self-confidence temporarily disappeared for some inexplicable reasons but, for sure, Adam was a son to be proud of.

Theo looked at his boyfriend sleeping peacefully next to him and he couldn't help but settling himself into his arms and snuggling his head in the crook of his neck. Given the fact that it was only 6:12 in the morning, Theo decided to stay in bed, patiently waiting for the alarm clock to go off but, unfortunately, it was hard to do it with each passing second. He was really making an effort staying silent -being awake and do not talk was pretty impossible for him- so he decided to try to awake Adam earlier than planned, using some soft manners. He tightened his arm around Adam's chest and his nose nuzzled gently his boyfriend's neck a copule of times before he lifted himself up and his lips began to place a trail of kisses all over the forehead, nose and lips. Adam grunted and tried to open his eyes but the only thing he managed to do, was letting a few, confused words leaving his mouth.

"Whatrudoin'? Itsearly," he mumbled and Theo couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm providing you a sweet wake up, honey," Theo replied with a soft tone of voice, letting a lovely smile, that Adam couldn't see, light up his whole face.

"I...I didn't...hear...the alarm," Adam said with an effort, already grumpy for being awakened before the time set.

"But it's almost time to wake up," Theo added and Adam grunted even more before sighing heavily. Theo was about to go on teasing him with some more kisses but he stopped when a pair of blue eyes suddenly opened and looked at him.

"I know you since forever, Theo; I bet the sun is not up yet," Adam said with a frown.

"It's almost seven!"

"Theo..."

"Okay it's 6:30. More or less."

"So we still have thirty minutes, _more or less_ ," Adam replied a bit annoyed, and he closed his eyes again while pulling Theo close.

Theo smiled and enjoyed Adam's arms holding him tightly and decided to behave, letting the sleepyhead rest a bit more.

*

While Adam was showering, Theo prepared breakfast. As Adam stepped outside the shower, he found Theo waiting for him, holding the bathrobe for him and kissing him rather passionately.

"Breakfast is ready, honey. Better you hurry up otherwise your pancakes get cold!" Theo said and he slapped Adam's ass before leaving the bathroom.

"I think we should invite our parents more often," Adam yelled with a smirk on his face and Theo smiled on his way to the kitchen, happy to know that Adam wasn't feeling uneasy anymore with the visit. He was counting the minutes that were missing before their parents arrive and he hoped that when they would be alone again, Adam would thank him properly, maybe thinking about something he had always avoided to think about only because he was afraid of his father's reaction.

*

Theo and Adam's parents met at the train station and took a taxi to get to their sons' place. When they arrived, it took a full fifteen minutes before each of them had hugged and said hello to everyone, and a cheerful and cozy atmosphere was already warming the house and the hearts of everyone.

Theo begun talking relentlessly, as usual, absolutely excited to have them as their guests, almost apologizing for never been able to reciprocate their hospitality before. Their parents obviously told him that there was no need to apologize given the fact that they had gone through pretty crazy years, and they told him that they would be happy to come and spend some days together from now on.

After some more chitchat, Theo began to explain how the place was almost a ruin a year ago. It had been abandoned for years and they were proud how they had managed to turn it into the place of their dreams, keeping some of the old parts of the building and making them fit perfectly with the modern look chosen for their house.

"We have obviously asked an architect to help us to get the most out of the place but we took care of all the furniture, and the stuff you see around, mostly come from our previous apartments," Theo said, still wearing a proud smile on his face.

Adam was looking at him feeling stupidly happy; the gorgeous and smart man standing there was his for the rest of his life and he couldn't help but feeling the luckiest man on Earth. Theo was now showing some pictures of the abandoned building, explaining all the steps that had been taken to turn that wreck into the amazing house that it was now. Theo's eyes were shining, his beautiful hands moving in the air to accompany his words, and Adam was hanging on from his lips.

Adam felt his dad's eyes looking at him while he was staring at Theo talking, and he felt a little embarrassed because he was sure that he was probably looking at his boyfriend the way their fans looked at Theo when he was on stage. He decided to regain his composure and, at some point, he decided to look back at his dad; he smiled at him and the older man smiled him back.

Theo went on talking, barely stopping for a second to let him chime in, and Adam noticed that his dad kept looking at him instead of paying attention to Theo. He told himself to not get nervous but, at some point, he decided that he needed a break from the staring before he began to feel uncomfortable and, therefore, he walked toward the kitchen with the intention to bring something to drink to Theo and their guests.

Unexpectedly, a few seconds later, his father decided to follow him. The man hoped not to look rude for not being so interested in Theo's detailed explanation of literally _everything_ ; he liked Theo and he was always interested to listen to what he had to say because the guy was never boring and his talks were always interesting but now, after almost eight months from their last meeting, he wanted to stay with his son alone for some minutes, and he thought that the moment Adam had disappeared in the kitchen was the perfect moment to spend some time alone with him.

"You really have a beautiful house," the man said startling Adam a bit and Adam managed to let a tiny smile appear on his face. He hadn't expected his father to reach him and now he was feeling again a little nervous for having him around.

"Thanks dad."

"I am sure you...you're gonna be happy here," the old man added, struggling a bit to say the words, not because he wasn't believing what he was saying but because he wasn't used to open up like that to his son, especially when it came about private life.

"Yes, we are happy and I am sure we will always be," Adam replied, averting his gaze from the man to avoid blushing like a shy teenager.

"I am curious to see the place where you keep all your instruments; I know you have a lots of them and I bet this is one of the main reasons why you moved here. Am I right?" the man asked with a genuine interest.

"Yes, we have turned the whole ground floor in a studio while here is where we live. This place it's perfect for us; we wanted something that could be finally our home and given the fact we are intentioned to be musicians for the rest of our life and fans keep appreciating our band, we really needed a place where we could work on our music every time we wanted," Adam said, letting a genuine smile illuminating his face.

"You did a great choice because this place is beautiful and I am sure that now it's much easier for you working on your music!"

"Yes, we can work on things immediately every time we get some inspiration; we are not afraid to disturb our neighbors and when we have to stay up all night long it's definitely much easier and comfortable since we are at home!" Adam said with satisfaction.

"Can you show it to me? I think Theo will take another three hours before moving downstairs," the old man said trying to hide a chuckle and Adam couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Maybe he needs only two hours and half but I am sure he won't be mad at me if I give you a private tour now," Adam said with a big smile, but right after he had said the words, the smile on his face vanished because he began to think about the dozen of pictures in the studio. He decided to remember Theo's words about the fact that there weren't indecent images of them and that there were no reasons to feel embarrassed; some of pictures were taken for fashion magazines and others were photos taken at their gigs. There were also pictures of them holding music awards and then, there were the silly photos of him and Theo pulling faces, hugging and kissing while celebrating their anniversaries and birthdays. That was their life and there was nothing they should feel ashamed of, and he was ready to prove Theo that he was brave enough to face his stupid fear once and for all.

"Let's bring something to drink to Theo because he hadn't stop talking since he had woken up this morning and I am sure he needs some water now," he said with a chuckle and his father joined it, helping Adam to bring glasses and beverages. Theo thanked him, stopping to talk just for the time he needed to down his glass of water, and then, he resumed his babbling.

Mrs. Hutchcraft and Mrs. Anderson were sipping from their glasses of juice, hanging on Theo's words so Adam and his father shared a glance and they headed, almost unnoticed, to the flight of stairs that led to the ground floor.

 

"I always knew you would made it. At least since you started the band with Theo," Adam's dad said as they were walking down the stairs.

Adam stopped and turned toward his father a bit dumfounded, not sure if it was a compliment or not.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that I didn't believe in you but I think that you and Theo complete each other and I am sure that none of you would probably succeed alone," the old man said, and Adam's expression was still a bit confused but, this time, for a different reason.

"Sorry, I probably didn't explain myself in the best way again," his father said a little embarrassed before going back talking. "It was meant to be a compliment for you and Theo because you are both very talented but I think that the magic happens when...when you are together."

Adam was even more happy and surprised to hear those words coming from his father's mouth; he had waited for years to hear something like that and now he was a little in shock.

"Tell me that I have explained myself correctly, Adam. I am not used to say such things but...I am trying to improve and, at the moment, this is the best I am able to do," the old man added with a half-shy and a half-embarrassed smile.

Adam's features finally relaxed and a big smile appeared on his face at the realization that his father was doing his best to make up for years of being pretty aloof and he was more than happy to put make him feel comfortable and show him how much he appreciated his effort.

"Thanks dad, your words mean a lot to me. And yes, you're absolutely right; nothing of this would be possible without Theo," Adam said proudly as he opened the door and gestured his father to enter the big room.

"You have so many guitars, Adam! You could open a shop!" the old man said amazed by all the stuff that was filling the big room.

"Yes, definitely. I use four different guitars during our gigs and this, for example, is my favorite when we perform unplugged at radio stations. I use that one when I start working on a melody with Theo and then there is this guitar, the one I use when I play just for myself. Some of them are presents I've received but I bought the most of them during the years," Adam explained, enjoying the conversation he was having with his dad who looked pretty astonished by everything around him.

"I didn't know you also had a grand piano! I thought you had only that electronic stuff and the upright piano..."

"Theo bought it when we moved in here...I usually played the one at the record studio but he noticed that, lately, I liked playing piano a lot so he decided to buy me a serious instrument and I really love playing piano. Not that I consider myself a pianist now but..."

"Theo sent me a couple of videos he made while you were playing and...I was impressed by how good you've become," the man said with a hint of emotion in his voice, feeling proud of his son who had learned to play the instrument almost by himself.

"Did really Theo send you a video?" Adam asked a little confused. Obviously Theo had taken dozens of videos of him playing but he had never told him that he had sent some of them to his parents.

"I thought you knew it. I admit that this WhatsApp thing is really a great idea," he said with a chuckle; "It's much easier than the email."

"Well, I don't know what to say; I really didn't know he was sending you stuff and that you have switched to a modern phone," Adam said pretty surprised at the thought of Theo being in touch with his father more than he was.

"He's very proud of you; he probably wanted to let me know how a great musician you have become and that being in a band is not only fun and parties...I know that you've studied piano a lot lately."

"Well...yes, I took a few lessons and practiced a lot."

"Would you play something for me?"

Adam looked at his father and nodded. He sat down at the piano stool and took a deep breath before letting the fingers of his slightly trembling hands sliding on the keys. Adam's father closed his eyes as if he could enjoy better the music and Adam saw a smile of contentment on his face when he looked up to check his reaction.

"It's a very nice melody," the man said when Adam finished and their eyes met for a moment, both noticing the genuine smiles on their faces and the affection shown by their eyes. The man approached Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder squeezing it, and, for a moment, he looked as if he was about to say something but he stayed silent instead. He began walking around the room, looking at the pictures, and Adam felt his hands getting sweaty and his heart racing in his chest. He got up from the piano stool and followed his dad in his walk, feeling himself blushing when the man stopped to stare at the picture where he and Theo were kissing.

"Adam, you know that I am proud of you, don't you?" he said, still looking at the picture on the wall. A second later, he turned toward Adam and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment before the man averted his gaze as to take courage to go on speaking. "I mean... I am proud of your success, obviously, but I am also proud of you, of the man you've become and I am happy you found someone like Theo. I realized that I didn't give you lot of affection and I know that you have probably suffered for that but please, believe me when I say that I didn't do it because I don't care for you; I am just not good at that, and I am happy that Theo is completely the opposite. I see how happy you are with him, and not because he helped you with your dream of being musician, make money and enjoy life. I know he makes you happy because he cares for you. I admit it's been difficult for me at the beginning to understand but... I want you to know that I am happy that you have each other."

Adam felt his eyes brimming with tears and his father hugged him, holding him tight for a while.

"So I hope that you and Theo come more often to visit us because we like having both of you around even if I am always behaving a little cool... your mother always scolds me about being too _serious_.... or better too _stiff_ as she says every time... maybe you should remember Theo to bring that bottle of scotch again until I learn to be more relaxed; your mom said I've been pretty hilarious last Christmas when I challenged Theo singing songs cause I was a little tipsy."

Adam laughed and quickly wiped a few tears away from his cheeks as he looked at the man in front of him.

"Theo will be happy to sing with you again, as well as drinking scotch with someone who can appreciate it," Adam said beaming for happiness.

"It's better we just drink together; he's too much good as a singer. It's sad to admit but I am not the star of the family anymore."

"Oh, here you are" Theo said, and a radiant smile appeared on his face, making him shine like when he was on stage in front of their fans. He was happy to see Adam smiling and looking relaxed with his father in the room that was making him feel worried for no reason, and it was a delight to see that also Mr. Anderson looked happy and at ease.

"Here is where Adam spends most of his time neglecting me because he prefers playing piano," Theo said in a sorrowful tone that amused their parents.

Theo didn't know what had happened in that room but he looked at Adam in the eyes and all he could see was pure joy and happiness. Whatever the two men had said to each other, their little talk had made them both happy. Theo reached Adam and took his hand in his, interlacing their fingers and giving him a lovingly look. Their parents were looking around the room, watching the instruments and the pictures on the walls. Theo saw Adam's father smiling at them, looking totally at ease with the fact that they were holding their hands and he hugged Adam's mother looking at the picture of them kissing.

Theo looked at Adam and winked at him as to say - _I knew I was right, and this is probably the best idea I had this year_ \- and Adam smiled back to him before hugging him to thank him.

"Are you trying to kill me with a lethal hug?" Theo asked, feeling his ribcage almost crushed by Adam's strong arms; the blue-eyes man laughed and slackened his hold after murmuring _I love you_ into his ear.

Theo couldn't help but smile and even if he was happy to have their parents around, he would have wanted to make them disappear and ask Adam what the hell had happened because he hadn't see him so happy since the day they got the record deal or the day he had told him that he was in love with him.

"London is really beautiful; it has changed a lot since the last time we came here almost ten years ago," Adam's mum said.

"Yes, it is; we have planned a great week end in London and now that we have two spare rooms, you can come visit us whenever you want. I mean, you do not have to wait some special occasion like Christmas or a marriage for being here all together again," Theo said laughing.

"Are you planning to getting married?" Theo's mother asked with an excited tone of voice.

"Well, I hope Adam decides to ask me sooner or later," Theo said looking at a blushing Adam, giving him a hug with his right arm.

"Well, you can ask him then," Adam's dad exclaimed amused, making Adam's mom looking at him with a bewildered look before bursting into laughs.

"No way! Because if Adam pops the question, I would reply _yes_ immediately and with no hesitation but if I pop the question...I bet he would look at me dumbfounded without saying anything and I would risk a heart attack waiting for the answer so..."

They all burst into a belly laugh and Theo placed a kiss on Adam's lips. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone was happy. Adam would never forget that day; it was definitely one of the three best days of his life, and he already knew that the fourth would probably make him feel even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting; I am already working on new stories so see you very soon <3


End file.
